Originally Posted by
alibi
The National Match Course and the police Practical Pistol Course started out as an attempt to simulate combat conditions to better prepare soldiers and law enforcement respectively for actual situations. Both of these courses of fire were innovative for their time. but have evolved into the use of firearms and equipment that would rarely if ever be used in tactical situations. I.e. the firearms are modified and "tuned" to improve accuracy. Other modifications and equipment "allowed" would not likely be used in tactical situations. Accomodations for people that would never be allowed in a tacitical situation is hardly surprising. I thought the NMC started going down hill when they went to digital targets, and was seriously damaged when we were allowed to place the magazine or clip of ammunition on the ground rather than in a cartridge belt or load bearing magazine pouch. Then came the requirement for those big bright chamber clear devices! (What the heck is wrong with shooting your buddy's toe off?)
Other combat simulation courses have been devised by the military and law enforcement that more closely simulate tactical situations and the previoulsy mentioned courses of fire as modified are no longer serve any purpose in the military or law enforcement.
As an exercise in the traditional purpose of the NMC I fired the course with an unmodified M1903 without any special equipment except an O'Hare micrometer, spotting scope, eye protection, and shooting glove. Oh, and a mat - didn't want to damage my original WWI uniform. Still not sure if I "qualified" as I wasn't sure how to convert the "X" target score to the "V" target score...must have been expert though.
200 standing, 300 sitting, 600 prone. At 200 and 300 battle sight only and windage set to zero.
http://www.archive.org/stream/usmari...ge/12/mode/2up
Last edited by PhillipM; 01-25-2012 at 12:36.
Phillip McGregor (OFC)
"I am neither a fire arms nor a ballistics expert, but I was a combat infantry officer in the Great War, and I absolutely know that the bullet from an infantry rifle has to be able to shoot through things." General Douglas MacArthur